Steve Backshall and World Land Trust join forces

Steve Backshall and World Land Trust join forces to complete the longest non-stop canoe race in the world on 4th april 2015.

TV Presenter and BAFTA-winning naturalist Steve Backshall has switched his Strictly Come Dancing shoes for a pair of paddles after joining forces with international conservation charity World Land Trust to attempt the longest non-stop canoe race in the world.

Known as the canoeist’s ‘Everest’, the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race starts on 4 April 2015 and is a non-stop endurance battle along 125 miles of the Kennet and Avon Canal and the River Thames, finishing downstream of Westminster in Central London. Steve will be joined by fellow paddler George Barnicoat and the pair not only have the additional hurdle of 77 locks to carry their canoes around, but have also tasked themselves with a completion time of less than 24 hours.

The paddling duo have taken on the challenge to raise funds for World Land Trust, enabling the conservation charity to buy and protect a section of Colombian rainforest, saving the land from logging, poaching or any other form of exploitation.

Steve Backshall said, “I am really excited about this challenge. The sponsorship money will go towards projects managed by World Land Trust and any money donated will be doing something practical to save the dazzling wildlife of the most diverse and threatened places on the planet.

“World Land Trust and its partners are well placed to build on recent conservation milestones in Colombia, by extending corridors between protected areas, putting in place rangers to protect the reserves, and by buying more forest to increase the protected areas,” said John Burton, WLT Chief Executive. “We are delighted that Steve is taking on this challenge to support WLT’s conservation projects in Colombia.”

World Land Trust (@worldlandtrust) is galvanising support for Steve through a Twitter campaign, by inviting followers to tweet their messages of encouragement including an image of themselves holding a kayak paddle and including the hashtag #kayak4forests.